Marriage of Alliance
by Spidey-phd
Summary: Uzushiogakure had purchased security and prosperity by laying Mito in the Senju leader's bed. For her clan and village she had survived worse in the past. She would endure this as well. [Part of The Pendragon Princess series but can be read as an independent one-shot.] Warring Clans Period. Arranged marriage. Not love at first sight.


On the subject of effectiveness of political marriages:

King George V of Great Britain, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany were first cousins. The first World War was fought between nations ruled by the grandsons of one woman, Queen Victoria.

The German Kaiser famously once noted that if their grandmother had still been alive that she would never have allowed them to go to war with each other.

~:~:~

Mito Uzumaki was quiet, bitter and heartbroken the day of her wedding to Hashirama Senju.

Mito wore the pearl hair combs given to her by her childhood sweetheart in a silent sign of defiance as she uttered the marriage vows to her assigned spouse.

She smiled politely and thanked the well wishers following their nuptials, correcting the visitors gently when they mistakenly referred to her by the name of Hashirama's original betrothed.

Mito was quiet and submissive as she and Hashirama completed their duties as husband and wife that night. Afterwards, a stone-faced and silent Hashirama retreated to his own room. Mito was left to stare up at the darkened ceiling of her new home and to mentally repeat to herself that she was securing the safety and prosperity of her true village and clan.

She waited until her new husband's gentle breathing had slowed in slumber before silently moving to wash herself clean again.

Then she had escaped out a convenient open window.

Moonlight had illuminated her path clearly as she raced through the trees toward a distant training ground with the power and grace of a kunoichi who had spent years training for combat.

Thousands of hours of dedicated training had guided her kunai and shuriken unerringly into their intended targets.

Bitter hatred had driven the spinning spirals of her Water Release Tearing Torrent deep into a convenient boulder.

Finally, her unshackled rage had decimated dozens of the Senju's beloved Wood Release trees. Her adamantine chains had sawed and sliced through the giant hardwoods in a exhibition of furious violence which she desperately wished to unleash upon her new husband, his condescending clan members, and the elders of her own clan who had forced her into this situation.

When a dark figure had appeared behind her in the moonlight at the edge of clearing, she had whirled with blades and teeth bared.

His shaggy silver hair and the three red markings on his face had made her silent observer immediately recognizable.

The Uzumaki princess forced the burning rage back down into her chest and back into its ragged cage. She forced her breathing to slow and calm. She forced her features to smooth back into meek politeness. She sheathed her blades.

There was sweat upon her brow. Her exposed skin was bleeding from the myriad small wounds inflicted by the shrapnel of her rampaging fury. But she managed to bow and greet her new brother-in-law with the demure deference of a civilian noblewoman. "Tobirama-sama."

The corner of the man's mouth twitched upward in amusement. "Mito-sama."

The Senju Shinobi then just silently stood there in critical appraisal.

Mito was becoming accustomed to the criticism and condescension of Hashirama's clan.

She was learning to ignore the absence of her beloved ocean and the heartbeat of her world as it moved rhythmically upon its sandy shores.

She was resigned to the aching loss of her family, her teammates, her friends, and everyone and everything that she loved.

Mito Uzumaki choked down the flash of Killing Intent and directed her differential gaze submissively toward her brother-in-law's feet.

Uzushiogakure had purchased security and prosperity by laying her in the Senju leader's bed. For her clan and village she had survived worse in the past. She would endure this as well.

After a long period of awkward silence Tobirama finally spoke. "Hashirama wants you to be happy here. With our clan."

Mito swallowed down the bitter poison which rose at the back of her throat. "I am honored by Hashirama's care and attention. It is a great honor to be accepted as the bride of a such a great Shinobi."

Tobirama eyes narrowed slightly. He was too perceptive to miss the rehearsed smoothness of her polite response.

She bit her lower lip momentarily, a nervous habit from her childhood which still manifested itself occasionally when she was distracted. Undignified for the wife of a noble clan head and another thing about herself she would need to change.

The red-haired kunoichi took a steadying breath before breaching the taboo which had hung over her relationship with her new husband for the last several weeks. "My cousin loved him."

Tobirama did not verbally respond but nodded his agreement.

Mito hesitantly began to explain. "Kuroki grew up knowing that she would marry Hashirama someday. She wanted to be his perfect wife."

Mito smiled sadly in remembrance. "Hashirama once took her to the theater and commented that he thought music was one of the most beautiful works of art in this world. Kuroki immediately went home and begged her parents for music lessons. She dedicated hours every week learning to sing and play the koto because she wanted to make him happy."

Tobirama smiled with a fond gentleness that Mito had not expected. Kuroki had spent considerable time with her Senju fiancé and his family. Perhaps Tobirama had been friends with her cousin?

Mito continued, "Kuroki spent years preparing to be the matriarch of the Senju clan. She learned how to manage a noble household. She studied finances, economics and politics in order to better assist Hashirama. She learned how to cook his favorite foods, memorized his favorite poems, even learned how to best cultivate his favorite flowers."

Tobirama nodded in remembrance. "I remember the perfumes and floral soaps."

Mito snorted at the memory. "That was horrible. She was so proud of herself. We were all so hesitant to tell her that poor Hashirama would get killed if he went out into the field smelling like some kind of fragrant bouquet."

Tobirama hummed in amused agreement.

Mito directed her face toward the night sky. "Did she ever make daifuku here?"

Her brother-in-law laughed softly. "Her beloved tea ceremonies. She'd act as hostess and invite the returning Shinobi to join her. Father would get frustrated by the delay and come looking for the delayed teams to find them kneeling elegantly around her table, still covered in mud and blood, eating her little snacks. She'd just smile at him and invite him to join." Tobirama laughed again. "He usually did join her. Father always called her princess and insisted she was the best diplomat our clan would ever have."

"She liked your father." Mito offered. "She said that when they first met he seemed harsh and cold. But she said he was always kind to her. After she got to know him better she said that she could tell how much he loved you and your brother."

Tobirama hummed again in acknowledgement.

Mito continued quietly, "She wanted to have a big family with Hashirama. At least two boys that she wanted to name after your brothers. And at least one girl that she promised to name after me."

Mito laughed suddenly, hand coming up to brush away the tear running down her cheek. "Kuroki complained that Hashirama was horrible with naming things. She claimed that she was going to learn seduction techniques from some of the older kunoichi so that she could persuade Hashirama to allow her to pick their children's names."

The silver-haired Shinobi chuckled. "I can imagine how her face must have looked when she said that."

Mito giggled. "Red as a tomato. With her eyes squinted in determination and her little 'dattebayo' at the end of every sentence."

The pair lapsed into fond remembrance.

"And then those damned Uchiha..." Mito snarled quietly. "And afterwards she was so ashamed that she committed suicide rather than face Hashirama."

Tobirama stood by her for several wordless minutes, united in their mutual hatred of the red-eyed demons.

Tobirama finally broke the silence. "My brother loved Kuroki. But I think his heart will soften toward you in time."

Mito's lips quirked into a rueful smile. "Hashirama's reputation for strength and martial prowess is matched only by stories of his honor and kindness. The Senju clan is right to be proud of him."

She turned to meet Tobirama's gaze directly. "I will never shame my husband. He will have my loyalty and obedience all of the days of my life."

"I will fulfill my role as matriarch of the clan to be the best of my ability." The Uzumaki kunoichi flushed but she raised her chin resolutely. "I will provide him with strong sons and daughters that will honor their father."

Mito looked back into the night sky. "My family believes that we will be united after death with our loved ones in the Pure Lands. I light a candle every night so that Kuroki might find peace in the afterlife. Last night I swore an oath to her spirit that I will safeguard and care for her beloved Hashirama to the best of my ability until the gods chose to reunite them."

Tobirama paused, considering the red-haired kunoichi thoughtfully, before bowed his head in respect. "We Senju are stubborn and hardheaded. But I think our clan and my brother are fortunate to have you."

Mito smiled wanely. "Thank you."

An owl flew by overhead before plummeting toward a small rodent hidden in the nearby meadow. The moonlit pair stood in companionable silence, watching.

Tobirama spoke next. "Your clan elders said you were exceptionally gifted in Fūinjutsu. How familiar are you with dynamic storage seals?"

"Projectile storage with modifiable velocity and vector?" Mito asked.

Tobirama paused. "You know how to do that?"

"Uzumaki." Mito pointed at herself proudly. "That's how our Fūinjutsu instructors taught us to have water fights when we were children. Pretty easy to transition from that to kunai, shuriken, and giant boulders. There is a reason no one wants to attack Uzushiogakure."

Tobirama smirked in appreciation. "We could use some of those seals to protect the perimeter of the village. But I was wondering about dynamic elemental chakra release and circulation?"

"I have played around with it." Mito admitted. "I once made a seal that imitated a Water Release Water Whip. Linked it to a motion sensor. Fifteen meter radius. Duration of 3 days without noticeable degradation. It required a large reservoir of water to initiate and sustain the technique but I thought it might make a decent defensive trap in a river or lake." She blushed. "It hit hard enough to kill a passing goose."

Tobirama chuckled in appreciation. "Not Water Release. A Lightning Release sword."

Mito froze, her eyes going big in excitement. "Kumo's proven that long-term electrical storage and circulation is possible. The hardest part would be establishing a shape transformation to build the Release around. If we can find a Shinobi with a Lightning affinity we could start to determine a baseline..."

She was interrupted in her musings by the silver haired Shinobi pointing at himself with a rather self-satisfied smirk.

Mito regarded him quizzically. "I thought you had a water affinity?"

"I do." Tobirama agreed. "But I started working on proficiency in the other basic nature transformations years ago. I was hoping to be able to make some progress with my Raijin no Ken so I've been practicing with Lighting transformation for a while."

"Raijin no Ken?" Mito laughed. "Sword of the Thunder God ? And that would make you...?"

Tobirama laughed in embarrassment, scratching at the back of his head. "Awesome? And very grateful to whoever helps me get the sword to finally work."

"I'd love to help you out whenever I get the chance." Mito agreed. "Tomorrow I'll find out more about my schedule for the next couple of weeks. We can make plans then."

Mito hesitated, then glanced back toward the Senju house she had fled from a short time before. "I hope you understand that all of our plans and meetings must be public. I must guard the reputation of my husband and clan."

Tobirama grinned in approval. "I wondered if you'd figured that out. Drives most kunoichi crazy but cuts down on the possible drama later."

"I will figure this clan matriarch stuff out." Mito promised. "Eventually."

"We'll help you out." Tobirama assured her. "Niisan will drop a tree on anyone that gives you a bad time. And I can be a creative little shit when someone goes after my family."

Mito threw her head back and laughed. It was a rich joyful sound. Her lips looked soft and moist in the moonlight. Her large eyes were strikingly beautiful and intelligent.

Tobirama was pleased. His brother would find it easy to fall in love with a woman like this. Once his broken heart had healed enough to tolerate his new wife's presence.

"Goodnight then, Tobirama-kun." the red-headed kunoichi called as she moved back toward the main clan house. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He smiled and waved. " Oyasumi, Mito-chan."

Tobirama waited silently until Mito had moved out of range of even chakra-augmented hearing. "Spying on your spouse would probably be considered rude by civilians." the silver-haired Shinobi said calmly.

His brother's tall dark form emerged from a nearby tree trunk. Hashirama shrugged. "She is a kunoichi."

"Yes," Tobirama noted pointedly. "She is."

~:~:~

AN1: I am a raw amateur in regards to Japanese culture and honorifics.

AN2: I have a friend whose parents immigrated from Japan. My friend has complained on multiple occasions that her parents seem to have to predetermined mold (dictated by societal expectations) that they seem to feel the need to force their daughter to match as perfectly as possible.

This expectation of conformity and "improvement" over time seems consistent with Naruto canon as most of the women of Naruto demonstrate a gradual metamorphosis from quirky opinionated young kunoichi to maternal and domestic yamato nadeshikos.

While the mature Mito always appeared elegant and dignified I suspect that she would have been a little more like Kushina or Tsunade when she was younger. I tried to reflect that in this story.

AN3: The Uchiha and Senju clans were at war for generations. Horrible things were done by both sides.


End file.
